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Not in Wordt hut in Deed 
Is the Little Yallerhamtner^s Creed 






The Bornin^ of the 
"Yallerhammer Idea" 



Born and reared in the country, and coming to the 
city after I was fifty years of age, there was nothing 
that so impressed me with the city life, as the disposition 
to let go the grip on the traditions, sentiment and cus- 
toms of long ago. 

I realize the necessity of any people lopping off the 
things that are not worth while, but when it comes to let- 
ting slip the things that "exalteth a nation" then I am 
sure there should be some endeavor made to get back into 
the olden paths. 

My life of three score years and two, had taught me that 
all reforms to be permanent, must be stamped into the 
hearts and minds of the children, so benefitting from this 
lesson, I looked about me for a nucleous, and what better 
selection could I make, than to take my seed corn from 
that stock of men, whose glory and honor were their 
women and children. 

And when that crux period came into the lives of them- 
selves and their country, they found that this glory and 
honor Mtti was returned a hundred fold. 

Fifty years ago, the men of this South-land looked 
upon women as the highest ideal of a pure and holy life, 
and saw to it that her name and fame were kept inviolate, 
but today this has all but passed away, and we find 
men and women meeting in the common arena of life, 
vieing only as to who can wring most of the gold out of 
this "mad money wrangle." 

With this new creed of commercialism coming to the 
front, we find the old time honor and defference paid to 
women, and that beautiful courtesy of the women and 
children is fast becoming a thing of the past. 

So from the loins of these men of fifty years since I 
have selected my bunch of little "Yallerhammers," tiny 



models, fresh from the hands of the Great Master Build- 
ei of the Universe; ideals that our Lord Himself hath de- 
clared to be "Types of the Kingdom of Heaven." 

And it shall be my purpose and my aim to simply teach 
these little ones, those things that made the men and 
women of the Old South the wonder and admiration of 
the world; and when the battle of life is over with me, 
and the taps are about to be sounded, no higher tribute 
do I desire than that every one of these little ones may say 
that the lessons taught them by me had made of them 
better boys or better men, better girls or better women. 

THE SEED CORN FROM WHICH "THE YALLER- 
HAMMERS" GREW. 

In the spring of 1905 there would come to the home of 
Morgan S. Gilmer at 302 Alabama Street in the city of 
Montgomery, a few little girls for the purpose of gather- 
ing and stringing the old Four-0-Clock flower that grew 
there is such profusion; this coming together soon grew 
into the formation of the "Four-0-Clock" club with the 
following members and the following constitution: 

NAME: "THE FOUR-0-CLOCK CLUB." 

OBJECT: To string Four-O-Clocks, and to make each 
other happy. 

MEMBERSHIP. 

All of the active members shall be girls, not over twelve 
years of age. And no one will be admitted to this club 
who chews gum, or who uses bad language. 

MEETINGS. 

The members will meet promptly at six o'clock, and re- 
main in session until all of the Four-O-Clocks are strung, 
and all of the ice cream is eaten. 

DUES. 

There will be an admission fee of three kisses, which 
are to be paid promptly to the Honorary President. 



OFFICERS. 

There shall be one Honorary President who will be 
elected for life. One active President, who shall be elected 
on the first Monday in May, and shall serve for one year, 
and it shall be her duty to see that all of the members 
faithfully keep the rules, and that no rude or bad girl is to 
become a permanent member of this club. 

FINES. 

Any member violating any of these rules will be made to 
stand in the corner with her mouth poked out for ten 
minutes. 

MOTTO: 

"Who cannot find God in the heart of a child, will never 
know Him within Cathedral walls." 

OUR PRAYER. 

"Guide Thou our feet in Holy ways. 
Shine on us in our darkest days. 
Uphold us till our life is past, 
Then bring us safe to Heaven at last." 

NAMES OF MEMBERS. 

MORGAN S. GILMER, Honorary President. 

OCTAVIA HOLT, Active President. 
May Steiner 
Celia Stratford 
Erline Minderhout 
Berta Holt 
Maxine Mayer 
Dorothy Hannon 

In October, 1906, the Honorary President moved from 
this the Four-0-Clock house to 407 High Street, and here 
there were no Four-0-Clocks and no room to grow them, 
so they were confronted with the problem of what to do 
with the Four-0-Clock club, as it would never do to have 
such a club and no Four-0-Clocks to string. 



Not being willing to abandon their very pleasant meet- 
ing together, they informally decided to resolve them- 
selves into the "Yallarhammer" club. 

After adopting this name it was suggested that their 
membership be increased to thirteen — the number of the 
Confederate States — but to this they would not consent, 
contending that this was an unlucky number and was 
the cause of the unsuccessful effort of the South to main- 
tain her independence. But it was decided to simply dou- 
ble this number making it twenty-six. 

This informal organization was ever ready and willing 
to lend their aid and assistance to any appeal made to 
them for the old soldiers or for the cause which they con- 
tended for. 

While these little children had always fought shy of 
any publicity, yet at times they were forced to do so in 
order to successfully accomplish their desired end. 

Their first appearance before the public, was at the 
State Reunion held in Montgomery in 1907, and their 
unique appearance in the parade on that occasion created 
much enthusiasm (and again on Memorial Day they were 
given the special privilege of bestowing the Crosses of 
Honor upon twenty-six of the Veterans in the name of the 
several Chapters of the Daughters of the Confederacy.) 
At which time Edward Terry thus addressed the Veter- 
ans: 
"My Dear Grand Fathers: 

Because your Daughters have let us give you your 
Crosses of Honor, makes this the proudest day that has 
ever come into the lives of your little "Yallerhammer" 
Grand Children. 

"And we want to tell you now, that when you have 
gone out from among us, and your Daughters and your 
Sons have been called to join you in the Great Beyond, 
that we are going to take up this task of keeping your 
graves and your memory green, and to teach the children 
of this Southland, that for all that was pure, for all 
that was noble and for all that was brave, this was the 
Confederate States soldier. 

"And now with faces uplifted looking into that of our 
Heavenly Father, we pray to Him 

'Guide Thou your feet in Holy ways. 



Shine on you in your darkest days, 
Uphold you 'till your life is past, 
Then bring you safe to Heaven at last.' " 
On the 13th day of February, 1908, (unlucky 13 again) 
the "Yallerhammers' were formally organized at the home 
of the Honorary President, 407 High Street, with the 
following Constitution and membership : 

CONSTITUTION. 

This club shall be called the "YALLERHAMMERS" in 
honor and memory of the Alabama soldiers of the war 
of 1861 to 1865. 

Its purpose shall be: 

First. To teach its members and all the world, that 
for all that was noble, for all that was pure, and for ai! 
that was brave, this was the Confederate States soldier. 

Second. To teach the old time honesty, the old time 
truthfulness, and the old time nobility and politeness that 
made the old time man and woman of Alabama loved and 
honored wherever known. 

Third. To make boys that would be boys among men 
but men among boys. 

Fourth. To make little girls that will be little girls 
among women but little women among girls. 

MEMBERS. 

All members of this club except the charter members, 
must be descendants of a Confederate Soldier, and be not 
over fourteen years old. The number of its members 
shall never exceed twenty-six. 

OFFICERS. 

Its officers shall be a President, elected for life, and he . 
shall appoint a secretary who shall hold at his pleasure. 

MEETINGS. 
Our meetings shall be held at the call of the President. 



DUES. 

Our dues shall be paid in the old time coin of the 
South, love to each other, polite and courteous to every 
one, especially to older people. 

OUR DAILY RULE OF LIVING. 

"To love the Lord our God with all our heart, with all 
our soul and with all our mind, our neighbors as our- 
selves.' 

OUR DAILY PRAYER. 

Guide Thou our feet in Holy ways, 
Shine on us in out darkest days, 
Uphold us 'til our life is past, 
Then bring us safe to Heaven at last." 

ROLL OF MEMBERS. 

Honorary. 
Mrs. Morgan S. Gilmer, Mother Yallerhammer 
Genl. Geo. P. Harrison, Opelika, Ala. 
Mrs. W. A. Gause, Memphis, Tenn. 
Miss Mary Perkins, Memphis, Tenn. 

CHARTER MEMBERS. 

MORGAN S. GILMKR. Life President. 

1 Majore Allen 

2 Mary Burnett 

3 Thomas Cohoon 

4 Alice Chapman 

5 Warren Dent 

6 William Crist 

7 Mary Gilchrist 

8 Dorothy Hannon 

9 Octavia Holt 

10 Berta Holt 

11 Louise Johnson 

12 Theodosia Lee 

13 Maxine Mayer 



7* 



14 Erline Minderhout 

15 Katherine Powell 

16 Allen Reynolds 

17 Jordan Reynolds 

18 Anie Spann 

19 May Steiner 

20 Celia Stratford 

21 Annie Terry 

22 Edward Terry 

23 James Wade 

24 Annie Whaley 

25 Janice Weil 

26 Ernest Wilkinson 

This club having been declared to have a fixed standing 
among the Confederate organizations of the State of Ala- 
bama, by Dr. Thomas M. Owen the Director of Archives, 
added new zeal to its membership. 

Each of the little ones striving to their utmost to 
live up to the very spirit of their constitution, and so 
pronounced were they along these lines, that it became to 
be a recognized fact, to be a "Yallerhammer" meant to 
be truthful, honest and polite. Eager always to hear the 
plea of the needy, ready always to do what their little 
hands and hearts could do for the cause they loved so 
well. 



At a meeting held under the auspices of Camp Lomax to 
devise ways and means for the securing of funds to build 
a Memorial Arch for the members of this Camp, the "Yal- 
lerhammers" pledged the expense of chiseling the names 
of twenty-six Veterans of this Memorial Arch. 



The general Reunion of the United Confederate Vet- 
erans, coming on in Memphis, Tenn., on the 8-9-10 of 
June 1909, they wished to represent the "Yallerhammer" 
soldier of Alabama. 

And in order that they might be allowed to do so, a 
letter was written to Genl. John H. McDowell, chief Mar 
shall of that Reunion, requesting that a position be given 
them, the correspondence that follows is fully explained 
in his letter after the Reunion was over. 

That we were arranging to have these little ones to pai*- 



ticipate in that parade, in some way came to be known to 
Mr. Stark, Chairman of the floral parade which was to 
come off the first day of that Reunion, who immediately 
wrote Mr. Gilmer, asking him to join with his "Yaller- 
hammers" in this parade. 

This invitation was heartily appreciated, but we were 
compelled to decline, on account of not being able to bear 
the expense of such a float, and so wrote Mr. Stark. 

This letter being turned over to Mrs. W. A. Cause 
the Director of one of the Children chapters, she assum- 
ed the responsibility for all expense, and proposed to fur- 
nish at a cost of sixty dollars a float that would do credit 
to Memphis and at the same time through the "Yaller- 
hammers' honor the Alabama soldier. Of course such 
generosity could not be ignored by the "Yallerhammers" 
and notified Mrs. Cause of their acceptance. 

True to their promise, at the appointed time and place 
for the floral parade, the "Yallerhammers" found their 
nest of yellow chrysanthemums, and it was soon filled 
with the little ones, but as Mrs. Cause had been unable 
to carry out her idea of having a "Yallerhammer" bird 
made of yellow flowers, she had to substitute a "YAL- 
LERHAMMER" of the CREY variety, a substitution 
not at all objectionable to the old yallerhammer. 

This nest was drawn by four large black horses, which 
were led by a footman for each horse, with the yellow 
trimings and trappings of the Alabama "Yallerhammers." 

This was indeed a pretty sight and one that was en- 
joyed by all who saw it. 

But beautiful as it was it did not compare with the 
parade of the old Veterans. 

Our wagonette, a new one, drawn by four magnificent 
greys, with the Alabama penant on each one, and from 
the wagonette on each side hung the banner, "A YALLER- 
HAMMERS NEST." 

We were assigned a position just in the rear of the Ala- 
bama sponsers, and had just fairly commenced to move off 
in the main line of the parade, when the Assistant Mar- 
shalls, not knowing of the private agreement to allow the 
"Yallerhammers" a position, ordered them out of the line, 
and allowed the whole calvary division to pass on ahead 
of them. 



By this time it had been discovered that they were not 
in the position assigned when immediately aids and mar- 
shalls were hurrying down the line bringing everything 
to a halt. This being done the Calvary division were or- 
dered to open ranks allowing the "Yallerhammers" to 
pass through and thus regain their appointed position. 

All the while, no one could fail to see as they looked out 
into the faces of these people that the "Yallerhammers" 
were the feature of the day. 

They are now rounding out of Poplar into Main, and 
see that longing, eager, exultant look of that vast multi- 
tude of humanity as they crowd up to the very wheels 
rim of their wagonette, and then the simultaneous roar 
of "Hooray for the Yallerhammers," And from block to 
block this mighty acclaim, gathers more and more of the 
spirit, more and more of the feeling of this gi'eat throng 
of people, but listen, a great hush has fallen upon this 
sea of human beings, and we hear breaking out from this 
the "Yallerhammers" nest the angelic voices of these chil- 
dren as they sing "Tenting on the old camp ground." 

And yet the crowning time is to come. 

As this thin grey line of Veterans begin to double back 
on itself and pass each other in review. The first sight 
of these little ones, and recognize them as the Grandchil- 
dren of their companions of forty-five years ago, then 
once more do we hear that Rebel roar, not of the kind 
that means to do or to die, but a roar of gladness and 
exultation, and so furious did their demonstration become, 
that it was soon found necessary to station four police- 
men about to keep the old soldiers from pulling them all 
out of their nest, and from then until they turned out of 
line the "Yallerhammers" were strictly in it. 

After the Reunion, Genl. McDowell had this to say in 
the Nashville Banner: 

"During the civil war, the Alabama soldiers wore yel- 
low stripes on their trousers, and the soldiers of the other 
States called the Alabamians "Yallerhammers" and when 
passing them would holler like a Yallerhammer. 

Mr. Morgan S. Gilmer, of Montgomery, Ala., ornament- 
ed a wagonette for the Confederate parade during the 
recent Reunion at Memphis. 

This wagonette was filled with Alabama girls ranging 
from eight to fifteen years of age. These Southern beau- 



10 



ties represented "Yallerhammers." It made a very at- 
tractive feature of the Reunion parade and was much en- 
joyed by the old soldiers and others. 

Genl. John H. McDowell as chief marshall, made this 
feature the only exception to his published order, and Mr. 
Gilmer has written Genl. McDowell a letter of apprecia- 
tion, in which he says : 

"You will never know the pleasure you gave to me and 
my little "Yallerhammers" at the Memphis Reunion. But 
I do wish to express to you as well as I can the apprecia- 
tion of your kindness in allowing us to participate in this 
parade of the Old Veterans. I am sure it is an epoch in 
the lives of these little ones that will never be efaced, and 
one that in future years they will look to it as one of their 
hallowed days. Through me the children offer to you the 
wide open door to all of their nests, and join with me in 
their daily prayer." 

When it was determined to hold a memorial service in 
honor of the birth of Raphael Semmes, the "Yallerham- 
mers" authorized the invitation committee to draw on them 
for the expense of that committee, as well as the expense 
of the orator of the occasion, amounting to $21.00. 

As a compliment to this generosity, their President was 
given the honor of introducing the orator Capt. Fred S. 
Ferguson who at one time was the tutor of Mr. Gilmer. 

At the meeting in May, this being the last until October, 
the Treasurer's report was read and ordered spread upon 
the minutes. 

Check to Mrs. McKen-ell to cover the expense of 

invitation committee of the Semmes Memorial $15 00 

Check to Capt. F. S. Ferguson, Orator of the day... 6 00 

Check to Haygood for a wagonette for the old 
Veterans on the day of the parade at the 
State Reunion 10 00 

Check to cover the expense of Veteran Jesse G. 

Mills to Mobile to attend the General Reunion.... 6 00 

Balance in bank 5 00 

Total $41 40 

The medal for the child living the nearest to the ideal 
"Yallerhammer' was awarded to Dorothy Hannon. 



11 



THE YALLERHAMMERS GO TO A CAMP MEETING. 

On Thursday night the little "Yallerhammers' took -i 
peep in on their Grand daddies just to see what they did 
at a Camp meeting. No doubt they had visions of sermons, 
shoutings, etc etc., and in this they were not disappointed 
as will be seen later on. 

After the business of the camp had been disposed of, 
Mr. Gilmer briefly reviewed the constitution of the "Yal- 
lerhammers" and by it impressed his fellow comrades with 
the fact that the organization was based along patriotic 
lines, he then presented the little ones to the Camp. 

After words of welcome, which were plainly seen to come 
from the hearts of these Veterans, Mary Burnett, the 
treasurer, came forward and standing just by the side 
of that Venerable and Honorable old "Yallerhammer" 
Col. John W. A. Sanford, she thus addressed the Vet- 
erans : , 
"To our Honored Sires of Camp Lomax: 

We, your Grand childi-en, the little "Yallerhammers," 
wish this night to say to you, that we have not been un- 
mindful of the pledge we voluntarily made you more than 
a year ago, a pledge that we would bear the expense of 
chiseling the names of twenty-six Veterans of Camp Lo- 
max on your Memorial Arch when erected. 

We have been informed that the cost per name will bj 
foi-ty cents each, this will bring our pledge up to ten 
dollars and foi-ty cents. 

,We are very proud to be able to hand you this night 
a check to cover this amount. 

And now praying that to the remnant of the Veterans 
of Camp Lomax, there may come many years of sunshine 
and joy, and at last when the little Cross is chisselled op- 
posite your name and for the last time you have answered 
the roll call here, it will be but to pass "over the river 
and rest under the shade of the trees." 

,And then the little Israelite "in whom there is no guile" 
(Maxine Mayer) made her plea known in no uncertain 
tone. 
"To the Veterans of Camp Lomax: 

We are here tonight to make two requests of your Camp. 

The first one is, that you will permit your little "Yaller- 
hammers' to deposit in the base of your Memorial Arch, 



their Constitution and other emblems of their order, this 
to be done if you see fit, at the same time that your exer- 
cises of a similar nature are held. 

Our second request is, that you as a Camp will use your 
influence in having passed a resolution that will be intro- 
duced at your next State Reunion, looking to the per- 
petuation of the "Yallerhammers" and of their adoption 
by the United Confederate Veterans of the State of Ala- 
bama. 

This latter request is made, because for the remaining 
years of your lives, we want to live so close to you, th^t 
we shall hear from your own lips, the story of the Cross 
Barred Flag which you so long and so well upheld. 

We now offer for you the prayer that is the daily one 
of every "Yalerhammer." 

And now comes the realization of their dreams of a 
Camp Meeting. Comrade Washburn delivered to them a 
sermon of love, spoken with deep and intense feeling, 
commending their purpose, and urging them to be ever 
mindful of their "Yallerhamer" creed. 

And after this the acclaims of Amen and Amen by the 
whole Camp, was an evidence to them that indeed they 
had been to a veritable Camp meeting. 

On November the 5th, 1910, the question of the en- 
largement and the perpetuation of the organization, was 
taken up and discussed at much length. 

The plan of organization after discussion as to whether 
we should place ourselves under the fostering care of one 
of the several Confederate organizations, was unanimous- 
ly decided, and with one voice, that it should be the Ala- 
bama Division of the United Confederate Veterans. 

The President then said that some constitution, embody- 
ing the regulation under which the organization should be 
carried out would be necessary. And said further that 
such a Constitution containing a few simple rules not hard 
to understand or difficult to keep, had with the assistance 
of Dr. Thos. M. Owen, the Director of Archives, been pre- 
pared. 

This was read and after a few changes adopted. 

It was here stated that since they woutd request to be 
taken under the wing of the Alabama Division of the 
U. C. V. they ought to submit through Camp Lomax 



13 



No. 151 a resolution, such resolution to contain a state- 
ment of our resolution to the Division. 

The President then read to them a resolution which he 
was sure the delegation from Camp Lomax would willing- 
ly present. The resolution as follows was then read and 
adopted : 

In the belief that the history of the Confederacy and the 
Confederate soldier is largely dependent, not only for its 
vindication, but for its preservation in unsullied purity 
and truth, upon the present generation and the genera- 
tions to come, the Alabama Division of the United Con- 
federate Veterans, hails with intense satisfaction and 
gratification the organization and development of all agen- 
cies which have historical and benevolent objects and pur- 
poses as the basis of such organizations. 

It is not only a pleasure keen and unalloyed, but it 
is a supreme duty as well, to encourage and foster such 
organizations. The Ladies Memorial Association, The 
United Daughter of the Confederacy, the United Sons of 
Confedei-ate Veterans, the Children of the Confederacy, 
and Confederate Memorial societies everywhere have the 
most cordial and enthusiastic commendation from this Di- 
vision, and of every Camp composing it. 

One of the newest and youngest of these organizations 
bears the historic name by which the Confederate soldiers 
of this State were known during that gi'eat struggle which 
set a new example of courage and heroism and patriotic 
endeavor for the world. In the campaigns, battles, sieges, 
and fortunes of the great Confederate war, soldiers from 
Alabama, oflFicers and privates bore a conspicuous and 
honorable part, and the name "YALLERHAMMER" is 
immortally associated with them. The organization which 
bears this honored name therefore, not only commend? 
itself because of the objects for which its members are 
bound together, but also because of its very name. Thti 
appeal presented in their behalf by their founder. Com- 
rade Morgan Smith Gilmer, of Camp Lomax No. 151, 
United Confederate Veterans, tonches us deeply, and in 
order to show that appreciation which we feel, and in or- 
der to afford a basis of affiliation with us by the junior 
organization. 

BE IT RESOLVED, by the Alabama Division of the 



14 



United Confederate Veterans, in regular annual Reunion 
assembled. 

1. That the "YALLERHAMMERS" as an organiza- 
tion, under its Constitution or such other altered and 
amended constitution not in conflict with the objects and 
pui poses of the United Confederate Veterans, which it 
may adopt, and for the porpose and with the activities 
therein projected, is hereby approved, and is taken into 
organic relation with the Alabama Division of the United 
Confederate Veterans, in the manner hereinafter set forth. 

2. That a Committee of three members of this Division 
be named, of which Comrade Morgan S. Gilmer shall al- 
ways be Chairman, by virtue of his position as founder, 
whose duty it shall be to have general supervision and con- 
trol of the organization. The committee is authorized to 
adopt rules for its government, and for the government 
of the "YALLERHAMMERS" consistent with the consti- 
tution thereof, and otherwise have all necessary general 
control, and direct the work of the organization. 

3. That the second and third members of this Com- 
m'ttee shall be elected at each annual meeting of the Di- 
vision by a VIVA VOCE vote. 

4. That the several Division officers. Camps and mem- 
bers of the Confedei-ation, pledge themselves to aid in the 
development and the extension of the "YALLERHAM- 
MERS," and they all do hold themselves in readiness to 
do every thing possible to enable these patirotic youthful 
bands to do their noble and patriotic work. 

The above i-esolution was introduced on the 23rd day 
of November, 1910, by Comrade W. W. Screws of Camp 
Lomax No. 151, at the annual Reunion of the Alabama 
Division of the United Confederate Veterans, held in Bir- 
mingham, Ala., on the 22nd and 23i-d day of November, 
1910, and was adopted by a unanimous vote. 

After the adoption of the above resolution, Annie Hol- 
lon Spann was selected to return our thanks to Camp Lo- 
max for the same. 

To every member of Camp Lomax, one and all, we are 
here this night to thank you for keeping that promise 
made us, to use your influence in having us sheltered un- 
der the wing of the United Confederate Veteran. 

We now feel that indeed you are our own dear Grand 



15 



daddies, and that we are sure enough little "YALLER- 
HAMMERS." 

And now that we are all in the same "YALLERHAM- 
MER' family, and as you are gi'owing older and your 
steps are slower, and the burden of life is bearing heavier, 
remember that our little feet will do your bidding, and our 
little shoulders will share your burdens, and whenever the 
cry of the old "YALLERHAMMER" is heard the little 
"YALLERHAMMER" will answer "here are we, ready 
and willing to do your every wish." 

And when the last members of Camp Lomax are to be 
given the solemn rites of burial, and there are none left 
to give them, we promise you that it shall be our sacred 
duty to give to them that same ritual service of Camp 
Lomax that you gave to those who had gone before. 

We also thank you for allowing us to place our box of 
treasurs in the base of your Memorial Arch, and in 
your memory we there placed with them, the Flag which 
you loved so well, and there it is to remain until the Res- 
urrection morn to greet you who wore the Grey when you 
awake from your sleep on Oak Woods Hill. 

LAYING THE CORNER STONE OF CAMP LOMAX 
MEMORIAL ARCH. 

As the petition of the "YALLERHAMMERS" had been 
granted by their Grand daddies for this privelege, prompt- 
ly at half past three o'clock Sunday evening found them 
banked against their two "YALLERHAMMER" flags, 
held by Allen and Jordan Reynolds, with little Alice Chap- 
man holding the bird in the center. 

They had no sooner thus formed, when the Masons io 
a body headed by Grand Master Lawrence Lee, took their 
position around the base of the Arch. After their usual 
impressive ceremony, the Grand Master beckoned to the 
"YALLERHAMMERS" to come forward and deposit their 
treasures in the box prepared for them. 

There being quite a number of these little ones, and 
wishing that every one should have a part in this cere- 
mony, it was decided that as each name was called, they 
would come forward and dropping their feather in the 
box, at the same time the President would announce that 
this represented some special feature of their Constitution. 



16 



After this came the depositing of the Constitution as a 
whole, the Badge of Camp Lomax, the minutes of their 
last meeting, their bank book with the checks expended 
by them, not one dollar of which had been used for their 
personal benefit. Then the "YALLERHAMMER" wing 
worn by Mrs. Tennant Lomax in honor of the "YALLER- 
HAMMERS" on her visit to the Reunion last held in Rich- 
mond, Va. 

And then last of all, the Cross Barred Flag of the 
South. The only flag born of white parents, baptized in 
the blood of white men, furled on the field of Appomattox, 
we now bury Thee in the grave of a Caucassian. 

Then the Masons again assuming charge, with the three 
little girls, Theodosia Lee, Katherine Powell, and May 
Steiner assisting, they put on the elements of consecra- 
tion, Oil, Wine and Water. 

After this was done, our treasure box was cemented 
over to await the Resurrection mom, there to testify unto 
the righteousness of the "YALLERHAMMERS" cause. 
Then all of the flock gathered around the Masonic body 
and with uplifted faces invoked the blessing of the Most 
High God upon them in the language of their daily 
prayer. 

On the night of the 23rd day of December, 1910, a tel- 
ephone call summoned the President of the "YALLER- 
HAMMERS" and he was informed that the Montgomery 
Light and Water Power Co. had witnessed the working 
of the "YALLERHAMMER" organization and had there- 
fore decided to allow them the privilege of doing a labor 
of love for them. 

Their offer was this : They would give $10.00 each to 20 
old Veterans — not those who were in the poor house — 
but to those in moderate circumstances who would appre- 
ciate this as a Christmas gift, and then in the name of 
the "YALLERHAMMERS" would credit off whatever 
amount might be due that Company by the Members of 
Camp Lomax on the first day of January, 1911. 

As there was 100 of these this amounted to the sum of 
$1132.85. 

On Christmas day the "YALLERHAMMERS" made the 
distribution among the old soldiers. 



17 



THE "YALLERHAMMERS" RETURN THANKS TO 

THE MONTGOMERY LIGHT AND WATER 

POWER COMPANY. 

On Friday the 6th of January, 1911, the "YALLER- 
HAMMERS" went in a body to the office of the Mont- 
gomery Light & Water Power Co. On their arrival they 
were ushered into the office of the General Manager, Mr. 
Chas. E. White, who greeted them very warmly, as did 
also Maj. R. E. Steiner. After these greetings Mr. Gil- 
mer spoke as follows: 

"This is an occasion that comes not often in ones life 
time, and in all my life to come it will ever be remem- 
bered as one of my hallowed days. 

To you Mr. White and to you Maj. Steiner, I am sure 
that I shall be unequal to the task of getting you to 
understand how deeply grateful I am for this honor you 
have conferred upon me, in using me as the representative 
of this little bunch of children to scatter your seeds of 
kindness along the pathway of these men who are now in 
the sere and yellow leaf of life "seeds that are to come up 
and blossom in this life to make it the brighter and the 
happier. 

Let me first thank you for this honor, an honor that 
I take not unto myself, but it is a reflex honor from 
these little ones, and how fitting it was in your company 
to select them, whom the lowly Nazarine once declared 
to be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, and now on 
this his natal day, to take these tiny ideals of his King- 
dom, and use them in the name of "sweet charity" is in- 
deed a beautiful tribute to them. 

These little ones had already heard the cry "the Mace- 
donian cry to come over and help them, coming from some 
of their "YALLERHAMMER" Grand daddies, and how 
their hearts bounded with joy when they realized that the 
full fruition of all their hopes and dreams had come to 
pass, and now they could wave the answer back to them, 
by the grace of God we are coming. 

And now they are speeding from nest to nest on their 
mission of joy, stopping at each of these nests binding 
fast your substantial lining of tribute with their silken 
threads of love. 



18 



And to see these old men, who in the years that are past 
faced the shrieking shell and the whistling minnie without 
a tremor, but now the glint in the eye is gone out, and in 
its stead comes the glistening tear. The lips and throats 
that once gave out that famous Rebel Yell are silent this 
evening, for that great heart of theirs has come swelling 
up into their throats shutting off all speech, and with bared 
head and uplifted hands stretched out over their Grand 
Children, out of their hearts came the prayer " 'God bless 
the YALLERHAMMERS and the Montgomery Light and 
Water Power Company." 

I now wish to thank you in the name of the United Con- 
federate Veteran, for what to my knowledge is the first 
public recognition of him, irrespective of station or con- 
dition in life, but have honored him simply because he 
was a Confederate States Soldiex-. 

And I assure you gentlemen that their appreciation is 
not an effernescent one, but one that will last as long as 
they shall be allowed to live, for if there is one dominant 
feature of these old "YALLERHAMMERS" it is to be 
ever loyal to their friends. 

At the request of the "YALLERHAMMERS" Mr. Frank 
Stollenwerck, Jr., had introduced a bill, exempting all 
soldiers over 64 years of age from the anti-pass law, where- 
upon they sent the following letter to each Senator, and 
to each Representative : 

"To the Members of the Senate and Legislature of the 
State of Alabama : 

We, the little "YALLERHAMMERS" whose names ap- 
pear on the opposite of this page, are the grand children 
of the men who fifty years ago answered the call of Ala- 
bama to beat back the oppressor from the borders of our 
beloved South land. 

And as their grand children we have purposed in our 
hearts to do all that wen can to make the evening of 
the lives of these our Grand daddies the very brightest and 
best possible. 

Believing that the amendment offered by Mr. Frank 
Stollenwerck, Jr., exempting these Alabama Veterans from 
the anti-pass law, will go a long way to this end, we there- 
fore respectfully ask that you give your vote and influence 
in making this a law. 



19 



This we ask, not alone that he may (if the railroads 
see fit) once more to visit those places of long ago, now so 
dear to him, and to once more meet face to face his com- 
rades, and there tell over the story of that great struggle 
for a young nation's life, but also let it be a token of ap- 
preciation by the State of Alabama for her sons who in 
that four years of fighting, freezing and starving were 
makers of history, history that as long as Alabama shall 
bring forth brave men and true women, their lisping 
children shall be taught to know that for all that was 
true, noble and brave, this was the Alabama 'YALLER- 
HAMMER.' 

Again asking your support of this bill, we are 
Very respectfully your very obedient children, the 

YALLERHAMMERS." 

This bill by an overwhelming vote was 

passed but vetoed by the Governor (the son of a "YAL- 
LERHAMMER") only allowing those who were on the 
pension roll of the State of Alabama or of the UNITED 
STATES to become the beneficiaries of the law. 

"THE YALLERHAMMERS AND WHAT THEY DC- 
Montgomery Evening Times. 

"One afternoon last week there was a wonderful chirp- 
ing and fluttering of yellow wings, as a flock of exquisite 
little 'YALLERHAMMERS' settled in their nest in a cer- 
tain room in the Court House. 

It developed that these birdies of the keen eye and ten- 
der heart had found a sick Veteran at the poor house in 
deep distress, lacking eveiy comfort to which the Veter- 
ans are entitled. 

For a moment they flew around in bewildered dismay, 
then winging their flight straight for the "house of jus- 
tice' descended upon it with a whir of sweet wings and 
voices that stopped all other business for the moment, these 
birdies chirped out their distressing little story into the 
sympathetic ears of a man, a man who cannot fly for 
he is a lame man. Yet this lame man leads these birdies 
into flights down the lanes where the lame, the halt, and 
the blind and the suffering are to be found and they are 
ministered unto. 



20 



Down the street to the shops, went the fluttering chirp- 
ing little flock, lovingly following their lame leader who 
led so unerringly to all things good and pure. 

A nice iron bed, soft mattress, clean comfortable cov- 
ering and suitable clothing for the poor Veterans body 
were obtained (from their own nest egg of saving) and 
a wagon loaded with these things plus a basket of fruit 
and dainties %|ipB*i*e, and a committee from the flock 
fluttered along with the wagon to see that it went aright. 

Then a letter was penned — perhaps with a quill from a 
'Yallerhammers' wing who knows — to the very best and 
most vigilant worker among all the sweet charitable wo- 
men of this town, to ask her that she might help them to 
look after this poor old man, and to see that he was kept 
comfortable. 

God bless this little flock of birdies and their lame 
leader, "who yet walketh uprightly in paths of righteous^ 
ness." 

The "Yallerhammers" last appearance was at the Re- 
union held in Little Rock, Ark., in the parade of the old 
Veterans on the last day of that Reunion. 

Though a long way for these little birds to fly away 
from their home nest, yet when once they alighted in that 
city, they wei-e made to feel that these people must have 
"looked out of the Ark and saiv" us coming, for every 
thing was found safe and comfortable for them. And the 
reception given them and the ovation accorded unto them 
was an evidence of the appreciation not alone of the Vet- 
erans but of the whole people who saw that parade. 

From the moment that they entered the line of parade 
until the end of it they were greeted with the plaudits of 
all, from the side walks to the very house tops could be 
heard, "Yallerhammers, Yallerhammers, Hooray for the 
Yallerhammers, God bless the Yallerhammers." This in- 
deed was very gratifying to them, but at the same time 
it made them to realize that their standard of living was 
a high one and their Grand daddies expected them to live 
up to it. 

Montgomery, Ala., Nov. 1, 1911. 
GENERAL ORDER 
No. 7. 
1. In accordance with Resolution adopted by the Con- 
vention of the Alabama Division of the United Confed- 







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21 



erate Veterans, held in Birmingham, Nov. 21, 1910, the 
"YALLARHAMMERS" are hereby incorporated as an 
Auxiliary Corps of the Alabama Division of the United 
Confederate Veterans. 

2. The official designation of this Corps in future will 
be, Morgan Gilmer's Corps of YALLERHAMMERS." 
By command of 

Major Genl. GEO. P. HARRISON, 

HARVEY E. JONES, 
Adjutant General & Chief of Staff. 




OFFICERS OF THE STATE ORGANIZATION OF 

"THE YALLERHAMMERS" OF THE 

STATE OF ALABAMA 

SUPERVISORY COMMITTEE 



Morgan S. Gilmer, Life Chairman 
John. B. Fuller 
Raphael Semmes 



Annie Hollon Spann, President, Montgomery 

Sybil Nunnelee, 1st Vice-President. Centerville 
Lottie May Bose, 2nd Vice-President, Mobile 

Torrance Reed, 3rd Vice-President, Birmingham 
Celia Stratford, Secretary, Montgomery 

Jane Kealhofer, Treasurer, Montgomery 
Octavia Holt. Recorder, Moctgomery 



Montgomery County 
Chapter Officers 



Morgan S. Gilmer, Life President 
Maxine Mayer, 1st Vice-President 
May Steiner, 2nd Vice-President 
Octavia Holt, Secretary 
Mary Burnette, Treasurer 
Helen Thomas, Historian 
Thos. Cohoon, Color Bearer 



Mar.iore Allen 
Mary Burnette 
Alace Chapman 
Thos. Cohoon 
Willis Cohoon 
Warren Dent 
Mary Gilchrist 
Berta Holt 
Octavia Holt 



Members Montgomery 

County Chapter 

HONORARY 



Gen. Geo. P. Harrison, Opelika, Ala. 
Mrs. Morgan S. Gilmer, Montgomery 
Mrs W. A. Gause, Memphis, Tenn. 
Mrs. Mary Winn, Memphis, lenn. 
Mr.William M. Stoddard, Little Rock, Ark. 



10 Louise Johnson 19 

11 Jane Kealhofer 20 

12 Theodosia Lee 21 

13 Maxine Mayer 22 

14 Annie Nelson 33 

15 Katherine Powell 24 

16 Allen Reynolds 25 

17 Jordan Reynolds 26 

18 Annie Spann 



May Steiner 
Celia Stratford 
Annie Terry 
Edward Terry 
Helen Thomas 
Annie Whaley 
James D. Wade 
Eva Wadsworth 



President's Report for Past Twelve Months 

Attendance and interest— Good 

Amount expended for Historical and Memorial purposes $35.40 
Amount expended directly for the United Confederate Veteran $1,138.50 
Total: One Thousand, One Hundred and Seventy-three Dollars and Ninety 
Cents 




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LIBRARY of' Com 



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